Our aim was to understand and cover the conflict in the country’s northwest region, as well as in the hard-hit Homs neighborhood of Bab Amr, under siege for weeks by government forces. Almost as soon as we arrived, news broke of a massacre and the military victory of Bashar Assad’s forces in Homs. But after traveling in the country for about 10 days it became clear that the rebel stronghold of Idlib was likely to be the next source of news. Saturday, March 10, was a horrifying day in Idlib. Ahmed and I had slept the night before in a hospital for security. Rodrigo Abd—AP March 12, 2012. After waking up that morning, we began documenting the chaos as dozens of civilians and fighters brought the wounded and dead to the hospital. It was time to leave. We left Idlib that night, traveling again with the Free Syrian Army.

Teju Cole on American sentimentality towards Africa. Posted by Ethan on Mar 8th, 2012 in Africa | 11 comments Teju Cole, who just won a prestigious award for his novel “Open City“, offers a brief essay, in Twitter form, as a reaction to Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 campaign: Seven thoughts on the banality of sentimentality. 1- From Sachs to Kristof to Invisible Children to TED, the fastest growth industry in the US is the White Savior Industrial Complex. 2- The white savior supports brutal policies in the morning, founds charities in the afternoon, and receives awards in the evening. 3- The banality of evil transmutes into the banality of sentimentality. 4- This world exists simply to satisfy the needs—including, importantly, the sentimental needs—of white people and Oprah. 5- The White Savior Industrial Complex is not about justice. 6- Feverish worry over that awful African warlord.

Technology Finally Gets Useful: ATM for Cupcakes Invented. See that pink ATM-looking thing in the middle of the above photo?

Look at it. LOOK AT IT!
The power of money. Is Your Cell Phone Making You a Jerk?
Cell phones keep us socially connected, but new research suggests they actually reduce users’ social consciousness.

In fact, the study showed that cell phone use was linked to more selfish behavior. Researchers from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business found that after a short period of cell phone use, people were less likely to partake in “prosocial” behavior — actions that are intended to help another person or society — compared with a control group. For example, after using a cell phone, study participants were more likely to turn down volunteer opportunities and were less persistent in completing word problems, even though they knew their answers would provide money for charity. The same drop in prosocial tendencies occurred even when participants were simply asked draw a picture of their cell phones and think about using them. The study involved college men and women in their 20s, but the researchers think the findings would apply to any group.

True Hero. Viewpoint: V for Vendetta and the rise of Anonymous. 9 February 2012Last updated at 20:03 ET By Alan Moore Author On Saturday protests are planned across the world against Acta - the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

The treaty has become the focus of activists associated with the Anonymous hacking network because of concerns that it could undermine internet privacy and aid censorship. First published in 1982, the comic series V for Vendetta charted a masked vigilante's attempt to bring down a fascist British government and its complicit media. Many of the demonstrators are expected to wear masks based on the book's central character. Ahead of the protests, the BBC asked V for Vendetta's writer, Alan Moore, for his thoughts on how his creation had become an inspiration and identity to Anonymous.

I believe he only wanted human beings to be more honest with themselves. He did have a remarkable gift for aphorism — he once declared, “It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.” A hundred years after his death, Nietzsche retains his disturbing talent for turning a person’s worldview upside-down with one jarring remark. Even today his words remain controversial. Here are 40 unsympathetic statements from the man himself. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Civil Disservice - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 01/12.